Comets Pull Off Comeback This Time

It was a game of runs Sunday afternoon at the Omaha Civic Auditorium as the Comets defeated the Omaha Vipers by a score of 21-20, the most points scored in a game this season in the MISL. The Comets’ victory, their fourth of the year, is the second straight for the team on Omaha’s home turf. The Comets, who nearly erased a big deficit the night before at home against the Baltimore Blast, did so this time around after being down 18-12 with just under nine minutes remaining in the 4th period.

Omaha struck first at the 8:22 mark in the 1st period on a goal by Frederico Mojen. The Comets would answer four minutes later with consecutive goals by Byron Alvarez, unassisted, and Jamie Harding, getting his first goal on the year, assisted by Geison Moura. End of the 1st Quarter Score: Comets 4, Vipers, 2.

The Vipers would tie things up seven seconds into the 2nd period as Johnny Torres would take the opening pass all the way to the corner and past Comets’ keeper, Boris Pardo, getting his second start in goal this season. The Comets would come right back with a power play goal by Leo Gibson, another good sign that the team is finally capitalizing on their power play opportunities. Ryan Junge of the Vipers would connect on a 3-pointer, then Comets-killer, Chili Farias would score consecutive two and three point goals to give the Vipers a 12-6 halftime lead.

Omaha continued their scoring streak with a goal by Sandri Silva at the 1:36 mark at the start of the 3rd period. The rest of the scoring in the quarter belonged to the Comets, beginning with Byron Alvarez’s second goal of the day, assisted by Vahid Assadpour. Three minutes later, at the 6:55 mark, Lucas Rodriguez scored a diving goal past Vipers’ keeper, Jose Bontti. Assadpour would follow with a goal on a nice give-and-go with Jamar Beasley at the 10:30 mark to pull the Comets to within 14-12 at the end of the quarter.

At the start of the 4th quarter, it was Omaha’s turn to continue the scoring string with a goal by Vipers’ head coach, Marcelo Fontana, his first of the year. Four minutes later, Sandri Silva scored his second goal of the game to give the Vipers an 18-12 lead, and things looked pretty bleak for the Comets. Then Jamar Beasley, who had been pretty quiet for most of the game, exploded for two goals, the first of which was a power play goal off the Vipers’ keeper, Bontti. It was Beasley again, scoring 30 seconds later, unassisted from the left corner. After another Vipers 2-minute penalty, it was Byron Alvarez scoring again on a put-back goal off a blocked shot to tie the score at 18 apiece. The goal, giving Alvarez a hat trick on the day, moved Alvarez into 2nd place in scoring in the MISL.

One and a half minutes later, the game was decided on the strangest play of the MISL season. Vipers’ defender, Ribeiro Fabinho turned around near midfield to pass back to his keeper, Bontti, who was nowhere to be found, as he got caught playing up too far. The ball rolled all the way into the net with Bontti chasing after it to no avail, giving the Comets a game-winning 3-point goal. The Vipers would score again with 40 seconds left in the game, but it wasn’t enough, as the Comets sealed the 21-20 win.

“Fabinho is one of the best defenders in the league,” said Comets’ Forward, Jamar Beasley. “I just wanted to pressure him, and he turned around and thought Bontti was there, and made a mistake.”

For Leo Gibson, the win shows that the Comets are finally learning how to close out games. “We just hadn’t been finishing games like we want to,” said Gibson. “Now I think we’re finally over that hump.”

The win brings the Comets’ record to 4-7 and within one game of third place behind Omaha, now 5-6.

The Comets return home to take on the Milwaukee Wave for Retro Night on Friday, January 28th at 7:35p. Some former, Comets greats will be playing at halftime, including Alan Mayer, Gino Schiraldi, Doug Neely, Ted, Eck, Gordon Hill and many other former Comets players. The current Comets players will be playing in replica jerseys of the iconic rainbow-striped uniforms worn during the team’s inaugural 1981-1982 season. The Comets are encouraging all long-time Comets fans to break out their old Comets gear and wear it to the game

Tickets: Comet single game tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com. Groups and youth soccer teams can also “Play Like the Comets” on the field before every Comets home game. For Comets group tickets, call 816-478-BALL. For all the latest Comets news and information, visit www.cometsindoorsoccer.com.

Link to Box Score: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1443322